Mobile communication systems were developed to provide mobile users with communication services. With rapid technological advancements, the mobile communication systems have evolved to the level capable of providing high speed data communication service beyond the early voice-oriented services.
Recently, standardization for a Long Term Evolution (LTE) system, as one of the next-generation mobile communication systems, is underway in the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP). LTE is a technology for realizing high-speed packet-based communications with the data rate of up to 100 Mbps, which is higher than the currently available data rate, and its standardization is almost complete.
Recent studies are focused on the LTE-Advanced (LTE-A) for improving data rate with the adoption of various new techniques to legacy LTE system. One of such technologies is Carrier Aggregation. Carrier Aggregation is a technology allowing a terminal to use multiple downlink carriers and multiple uplink carriers unlike the technology of the related art of using one downlink carrier and one uplink carrier for data communication.
The current release of LTE-A specifies only an intra-evolved Node B (eNB) carrier aggregation. This diminishes the applicability of carrier aggregation function and is likely to cause carrier aggregation failure especially in a scenario where a plurality of pico cells and one macro cell coexist.
Therefore, a need exists for a method and an apparatus for facilitating inter-eNB carrier aggregation.
The above information is presented as background information only to assist with an understanding of the present disclosure. No determination has been made, and no assertion is made, as to whether any of the above might be applicable as prior art with regard to the present disclosure.